In the kitchens of Charleston, South Carolina-based Millers All Day, Executive Chef Jeff Allen watched a lot of waffles get tossed into the trash at the end of the day.
“We make waffles fresh daily for breakfast and brunch, but there are always leftovers that don’t get served,” said Allen. Millers operates from 8 a.m-3 p.m. weekdays and until 4 p.m. on weekends at its two locations.
Upset by the waste, the chef had the idea of cutting the waffles into small squares to create croutons, and then deconstructing that Southern comfort classic—chicken and waffles—into a salad.
Croutons as starting point
Allen rescued the unused waffles and the next day, cut them into small squares and deep-fried them in batches. The day-old waffles cooked up nice and crispy.
From there, he turned to the chicken. “I wanted a different flavor profile and decided on Nashville hot instead of classic fried chicken,” he said. He brines 5-ounce chicken breasts, coats them with a breading enhanced with Nashville hot seasoning, then fries and slices the chicken.
To tie together the two fried ingredients, Allen tried tossing them in hot honey—a condiment that has become ubiquitous on restaurant menus over the last year or so. But he wanted to bring it to the next level, he said.
Regular honey proved too sweet, but then the chef thought of hickory syrup, a local specialty. Millers prides itself on sourcing local products, including low-country shrimp, microgreens, mushrooms and eggs. And the grits are from Marsh Hen Mill on Edisto Island, South Carolina, owned by one of the partners in the restaurants.
Allen blended the hickory syrup with a little shaved black truffle and truffle oil, and a couple of drizzles of the sweet-savory syrup achieved the right flavor result.
He also wanted to add nuts to the salad for textural contrast and tried pistachios—another trending ingredient. “The pistachios didn’t have the flavor I was looking for,” said Allen. Almonds proved to be the best choice.
To complete the ingredient lineup, he turned to bacon, which is plentiful in Millers’ pantry. He cut the bacon strips into small cubes, cooked them into lardons, and the size, shape and flavor worked perfectly with the salad greens, chicken, croutons and other components.
The dressing was the final addition. Allen tried ranch at first—undoubtedly the most popular dressing and sauce in America—but he wanted to add more complexity to the salad. He created a house-made blue cheese-style dressing by bringing in gorgonzola dolce, a flavorful but slightly sweeter cheese in the same blue family.
House-made dressing features gorgonzola dolce cheese.
Millers new Chicken and Waffle Salad sells for $16 and “has become the most popular salad on the menu,” said Allen.
Finding the right menu mix
With this item, Millers now has three composed salads on the menu; the other two are a Field Pea Panzanella Salad (Marsh Hen field peas, radishes, pickled sweet peppers and onions, house lettuces, croutons, whipped feta, balsamic glaze and herb vinaigrette) and a mixed green salad made with local greens. Allen has also introduced a fan-favorite called the King Street Bowl, a combo of scrambled eggs, red corn grits, house-made sausage, pimento cheese, home fries and sausage gravy.
The all-day food menu has about 30 items, including blue plates offered weekly at a value-priced $13, but Allen is looking to streamline the menu a bit, he said.
Beverages are also a draw. On the alcohol side there are mimosa flights, bloody Marys, frozen drinks and seasonal cocktails. South Carolina law dictates that restaurants can’t serve hard spirits until after 10 a.m., but guests are ready as soon as the clock strikes—even on weekdays. The downtown Charleston location gets a tourist-heavy crowd.
Next month Allen is taking part in a Charleston Wine + Food event called “Breakfast Bites and Boozy Drinks” where he’ll show off some new ideas, downsized as passed hors d’oeuvres. In the works are arancini made with Carolina Gold rice, a local source of pride, and a couple of sandwiches.